1. Field of Invetnion
The present invention relates generally to virtual world applications, and more specifically, to controlling the behavior of avatars within the virtual world.
2. Description of the Background Art
Virtual worlds in a computer mediated environment allow users to meet and interact with other users. Thus, the goal of many virtual worlds is to provide an environment that promotes communication between their users. However, in conventional virtual world applications, avatars of users are displayed arbitrarily and in seemingly random positions, or in positions that are controlled by the users and not responsive to communications occurring in the virtual world. This is in sharp contrast to the real world, where social behaviors associated with communication often dictate the positioning of people in a room, as people tend to congregate in physical proximity to those with which they are communicating.
For example, in a typical virtual world that provides communication with other users, chat windows or balloon text are typically displayed over the heads of the speaking characters. However, the avatars are in fixed positions on the screen as the dialogue is displayed over their heads, or, if they move, their movements are responsive to user commands. This can cause problems for the new user. For example, if a new user accesses this location in the virtual world, the new user will see avatars in fixed or random positions with text either displayed over each avatar""s head, or all text in the world displayed in an adjacent chat window. Thus, the new user cannot easily discern which characters are speaking to each other, i.e., between which characters a conversation is taking place. This chaotic presentation may overwhelm a new user, and in some instances may cause embarrassment. For example, if several characters are having a private conversation, the new user will be unaware and may intrude by attempting to join in the conversation. This uncertainty regarding who is conversing with whom inhibits communication, and thus also inhibits the popularity of virtual worlds.
A further problem with conventional virtual world applications is that they do not reflect the sensory experience of communicating in the real world. For example, in the real world, people have private conversations even in a large group setting, and once people enter into a conversation, they tend to focus on the other party and exclude the dialogue of others. However, conventional virtual world applications typically display comments made by any user in the virtual world location to all other users currently at that location. This inhibits users from conducting private conversations in a virtual world. For example, people in a virtual world may be reluctant to discuss personal issues if they know that all users will be able to see their conversations. Finally, if a user attempts to join a conversation with other users, in contrast to a real world situation, the user is provided no social feedback clues that the user is engaging in conversation with a select group of people. Typically, there is no change in the display of the virtual world environment responsive to entering into a communication with another user. Thus, these dichotomies between the look and feel of conventional virtual world applications and the users"" expectations based on their own real world experiences discourage use of conventional virtual world application. Users may find them artificial, awkward, and conversation-inhibiting forum within which to hold conversations. Therefore, a more realistic environment for users communicating within a virtual world is needed.
In accordance with the present invention, a system, method, and apparatus provide chat clusters in a virtual world setting. A chat cluster is a self-defined group of users who wish to confine their conversation to each other. In accordance with the present invention, the avatars of those users who are engaging in a private communication are displayed in chat clusters to indicate to other users that the members of chat clusters are communicating with each other. To further provide a more realistic environment, communications transmitted and received by participants in a chat cluster are only broadcast to the other participants. Additionally, a separate chat cluster point of view is provided when the user is in a chat cluster to allow the user to focus more specifically on the avatars of the other users in a chat cluster. Thus, a more realistic paradigm for a virtual world environment is provided in which avatars are displayed in more natural positions reflecting the communication activity occurring within the environment.
In accordance with the present invention, a request to initiate a chat cluster is received from a user. Next, the other participants of the chat cluster are identified. The other participants are identified by receiving a designation from either the users wishing to participate or they can be identified from a communication from a single user that identifies the other participants in the setting. Once the participants in the chat cluster are identified, a conversation area within the virtual environment is defined. The conversation area is an unseen demarcated area within which the avatars of the participants are positioned. The size, shape and location of the conversation area is generated responsive to the number of participants in the chat cluster, i.e., for two participants, the area is small, and for a cluster with many participants, the conversation area is large. Then, the avatars are oriented within the conversation to face toward each other, or toward the center of the conversation area. When the environment is displayed to the users of the virtual world, the avatars appear to be naturally displayed as groups of people having conversations with each other. Thus, new users can immediately visually identify which users are conversing with each other, and can determine which users are available for approach.
In a further embodiment, once initiating a chat cluster, the participants of the chat cluster broadcast their communications on a chat cluster communication channel. The chat cluster communication channel conducts communications from participants only to other participants of the chat cluster. This ensures that the conversations within a chat cluster remain private. Dialogue transmitted by users not part of the chat cluster are broadcast on a default communication channel, which is received"" by all users in the environment. Finally, once in a chat cluster, a separate chat cluster point-of-view is provided to the chat cluster participants that displays the participants of the cluster more intimately.